How Many Years Do Child Support Payments Last?

Posted on August 06, 2018

The amount of money a non-custodial parent is required to pay for their minor child is called child support. Child support calculations in Illinois are based on both parents’ incomes as well as their parenting time and parental responsibility.

Although child support payments typically end when a child turns 18 or 19 and has graduated from high school, there are some situations where a parent may be required to provide their child with financial support beyond age 18 or 19. These situations include:

A Disabled Child

If a child has any type of disability, a parent may need to support them financially beyond age 18 or 19. In the even their disability is severe, this financial support may go on for the remainder of the child’s life.

If supporting the child financially is in the child’s best interest, the court can order that a parent continues to pay child support. The child’s physical and emotional well-being, as well as their educational needs and their ability or inability to be self-sufficient, will all be taken into consideration.

College Expenses

Many children of divorced parents choose to further their education after high school and go to college. A parent may continue to support a child if they are attending college, trade school, or another educational institution. This can help their child pay for tuition, room and board, supplies and books, fees, health insurance, and other college expenses.

It is important to keep in mind that in Illinois, a parent is not automatically required to contribute to their child’s college. The need for a parent to fund a child’s college expenses is determined by the court on a case-by-case basis.

In some situations, the court will order a parent to pay for a child’s college. Other times, however, this will not be a requirement. A court will look at a variety of factors prior to making this decision including the child’s aptitude for education, their financial needs, and the parent’s ability to fund college.

Often, a child support order for college includes a requirement that a child remains in good standing as a full-time student.

Contact Our Experienced Lombard Divorce Lawyers

If you are unsure of whether you or your child’s other parent is required to pay child support after your child turns 18 or 19, contact our experienced Lombard divorce lawyers. For a free consultation in English or Polish, call us at 630-953-3000 today.